IIT MADRAS RECEIVES ENDOWMENT OF RS 110 CRORE FROM MR.SUNIL WADHWANI TO ESTABLISH WADHWANI SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE & AI

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) today (30th Jan 2024) announced an endowment of Rs. 110 Crore by Mr. Sunil Wadhwani towards setting up the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI.

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 A distinguished alumnus of IIT Madras and the Co-founder of IGATE and Mastech Digital, Mr. Wadhwani’s gift is one of the largest gifts given by an alumnus to create a School at an educational institution in India. The MoU was signed today between Mr. Sunil Wadhwani and Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, in the presence of faculty, students, alumni, and researchers. With a vision to be among the top AI-focused schools worldwide, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI also aims to advise the Government and policymakers on Data Science and AI-related policy areas. Highlighting the need for such a school, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “With the advent of Industry 4.0, wherein AI and Data Science are the main movers, the need for a school for Data Science and AI is critical. IIT Madras has started this highly interdisciplinary school involving faculty from many departments joining hands to work on niche areas, including Responsible AI.

I also express my deep gratitude to Mr. Sunil Wadhwani and his  family for sponsoring this School with a generous donation through their foundation, which is close to Rs. 110 crore.” Over the years, Mr. Sunil Wadhwani, through his family foundation, Wadhwani Impact Trust, has been supporting social welfare, affordable healthcare, and scientific research through the Wadhwani Institute of Sustainable Healthcare (WISH Foundation) and Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence (WIAI), respectively.